The subject matter of the present invention relates to a reservoir simulator apparatus and associated method responsive to a set of data for simulating an earth formation located in the vicinity of an oilfield reservoir and for displaying a set of simulation results in response to the simulation, and, more particularly, to a system including a case manager apparatus adapted for organizing and managing a set of test data used by the reservoir simulator, the simulator generating a set of simulation results and displaying the simulation results in response to the data.
Reservoir modeling is performed in order to predict the degree of underground deposits of hydrocarbon bearing formations in an earth formation. Typically, well logging operations are performed in the formation thereby producing well log data, and seismic operations are performed on the formation thereby producing seismic data. The seismic data is reduced thereby producing reduced seismic data. The well log data and the reduced seismic data are introduced, as input data, to a computer workstation which stores a gridding software and a simulator software. A gridding software, hereinafter known as “the Flogrid software” or the “Flogrid gridding software”, is disclosed in prior pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/034,701, filed in the U.S. on Mar. 4, 1998, which is based on a Great Britain patent application number 9727288.4 filed Dec. 24, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference into this specification. The “Flogrid” gridding software includes another gridding software known as “Petragrid”. The “Petragrid” gridding software is disclosed in prior pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/873,234 filed Jun. 11, 1997, the disclosure of which is also incorporated by reference into this specification. The gridding software will respond to the reduced seismic data and the well log data by gridding the earth formation which was subjected to the well log operation and the seismic operation. The type of grids imposed on the earth formation include structured (approximately rectangular) grids and unstructured (tetrahedral) grids. A property, such as permeability or water saturation, is assigned to each cell or grid block of the grid. As a result, a set of output data is generated by the gridding software, the set of output data including the plurality of cells/grid blocks of the grid and the respective plurality of properties associated with each of the cells of the grid. The set of output data from the gridding software are introduced, as input data, to a reservoir simulator software. The reservoir simulator software will respond to the set of output data from the gridding software by generating a plurality of simulation results which are associated, respectively, with the plurality of cells/grid blocks of the grid received from the gridding software. The plurality of simulation results and the plurality of cells/grid blocks associated therewith, generated by the reservoir simulator software, will be displayed on a 3D viewer of the workstation for observation by a workstation operator. Alternatively, the plurality of simulation results and the plurality of cells/grid blocks associated therewith can be recorded for observation by a workstation recorder.
The reservoir simulator software can model an oilfield reservoir. For example, in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) publication number 28545, concerning a transient tool for multiphase pipeline and well simulation, dated 1994, the authors have solved for pressure losses along a single pipeline using a technique related to conservation of material and conservation of pressure.
A similar technique has been applied to a network of pipelines or flowlines in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) publication number 29125, authored by Litvak and Darlow. In this publication, the authors (Litvak and Darlow) have taken a network model (i.e., a network of pipelines) in which the pressure losses along the network branches can either be calculated from tables or from an analytical model, and the analytical model solves for three (3) conservations and pressures. In addition, in an article by the “Society of Petroleum Engineers” (SPE) 12259, each well being modeled in that article was characterized by three (3) variables: pressure, water fraction, and gas fraction.
As noted above, the set of output data from the gridding software (including the plurality of cells/grid blocks of the grid and the respective plurality of properties associated with each of the cells of the grid) are introduced, as input data, to the reservoir simulator software, and, responsive thereto, the reservoir simulator will generate a first set of simulation results which will be displayed for viewing by an operator. Another set of input data will subsequently be input to the reservoir simulator, and a second set of simulation results will be displayed for viewing by the operator. Still another set of input data will subsequently be input to the reservoir simulator, and a third set of simulation results will be displayed for viewing by the operator.
However, advances in technology over the last few years have meant that today's reservoir engineer is faced with managing more data and making better informed decisions in a shorter time than ever before. Technology has enabled more data to be incorporated, more complex models to be built, and more realizations to be studied. As a result, more data must be managed, more models must be created, and more results must be analyzed. Consequently, a reservoir engineer must continuously remember and keep track of a multitude of sets of input data which are being input to a reservoir simulator.
Therefore, some type of method and apparatus for automatically organizing and managing the input data (which are being input to the reservoir simulator) is necessary, and that apparatus would allow the reservoir engineer to efficiently manage the input data while creating new models and analyzing the results generated from those models.